They say truth is more amazing than fiction and the story of
the Chicago 50 is one of those cases. I had never heard of these men
before reading Steve Sheinkin’s book.

African American sailors at Port Chicago, a California naval
base were assigned the dangerous task of loading explosive weapons onto cargo
ships without the proper training and under overloaded work schedules.
When an explosion occurred that killed nearly 300 soldiers in 1944, those left who were assigned to keep loading the ships demanded better training and reduced
work hours. When these demands were not accepted, the men refused to
work. Subsequently they were charged with mutiny, brought to trial and
found guilty. The case became a national news story and eventually the NACCP hired
lawyer Thurgood Marshall to defend the sailors.

If you like history and reading about incredible everyday
people who stood up and made a difference when faced with injustice, you will like
these men’s story and the book will stay with you.

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